Hedge trimming shears



Sept. 27, 1932. n E ,SWANSON HEDGE TRIMMI NG SHEARS U\IVEI\ITOR,` EmiJawa/2.5011,

' ATTORNEY.

sept. 27, 1932. 'E SWANSON 1,879,860

HEDGE TRIMMING sHEARs Filed Aug. 5. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR,712125Z Jwafzsafz,

@ICM/M 60. @ou/ad.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 27, 1932 ERNEST SWANSON, OF SPRINGFELD, MASSACHUSETTSATEN'r 4orrlc HEDGE TRIMMNG SHEARS Y Application filed August 5, 1931.Serial No. 555,213.

My invention relates to improvements inV hedge trimming shears, and moreparticularly to that type of trimming shears which are double-acting anddesigned for hedge or lawn trimming purposes.

An object of my invention is to provide a shears construction which willreadilyv accomplish several times the amount of work that ordinaryshears do, now in general use, with practically the same amount ofenergyexpended by reason of the double action construction. Y

Broadly, my invention comprises v two pivoted and movable bladesoperating in cooperation with three stationary blades, the stationaryblades being an integral kpart of a supporting base plate and themovable blades being operated by the lower one of a pair Y. of handlesmoving in a vertical plane relative to the horizontal movement of themovable blades. Each of the movable bla/des is formed with adouble-cutting edge, and so arranged as to engage alternately with thecutting edges of two of the stationary blades.

A preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device showing the normal relation of thetwo movable and stationary blades.

Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional, view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Y Fig.3 is a sectional, plan view on the line 3 8 of Fig. 2, showing the meansfor operating the blades and for limiting their movements in bothdirections.

Fig. 4 is a detail, sectional, view illustrating the co-operating meansbetween the lower handle and the movable blades.

Fig. 5 is a cross, sectional, view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a cross, sectional, view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1. and

Fig. 7 is a modification Referring now to the drawings in detail, inwhich like numerals refer to lile parts throughout The base member 1 isformed with the thre integral blade members 2, 3, and 4, and securedthereto by the rivets 5 is the upper,

fixed handle 6. rlhe two movablebla'des'7 and 8 are pivotally secured tothe base 1 by means of the bolts 9 and 1G;4 The blade 7 is formedA withthe integral struck-upv lug 11 and the two stop lugs 12 andl. The blade55 8 is formed with the notch, or recess 14, in which is locatec the lug11 of the blade 7 and the stop faces 15 and 16 whicliare engaged by thetwo stop'lugs 12 and 13 respectively of the blade 7, when the bladesareoperated, ce as will be described.

The lower handle 17 is pivotally secured to the upper handle 6 by thepin 18, which forms` a 'bearing for the heavy, expansive V-shapedspringl). The lowerhandle 17 is formed ce with the downwardly extending`portionsl 20 and 21, which are bent inwardly and overlapped at 22andf23. (See ,Fig.'5.)' The lapped portions 22 and 23 are formed withthe opening 24, through which the lug 11 of 7c the blade 7 projects.

The, blade 8 is formed with the upwardly extending olfset portion 25, topermit this portion of the blade 8 to slide freely` over thecorresponding portion of'the'blade'as the TT blades 7 and 8 areoperated.

' The base member 1, and the stationary. sharpened blades 2, 3,*and 4are each rein-` forced by the downwardly extending flanges 26 and 27 andthe downwardly projecting rib *C 28. The movable blades V7 and 8 arereinforced Vby the centrally disposed, upwardly projecting, ribs 29 and30, respectively.

The stationary blades 2 and 4 are formed with the cutting edges 81 and32, respectively, and the stationary, central blade Sis formed with thecutting edges 38 and 34; The movable blades 7 and 8 are formed withthecutting` edges 35, 36, B7, and 38.

In operation, when the lower, movable han- 9" dle 17 is moved towardsthe fixed handle 6 by raising the lower handle 17 as indicated bv thearrow 17 in Fig. 4, the overlapping flanges 22 and 23'are`then movedbackward around the pin 1.8, as a center, thus Vforcing 9J the lug 11vin the recess Y14, backward. The movable blades 7 and 8 are thus causedto ybe moved together, pivotingaround the bolts 9 and 10. This action isreversed, when' pressure on the movable handle 17 is released, due

,.4 of the blades 7 and 8 is limited by the engagement of the stop lug12 against the stop tace 15, and the opening movement of the blades 7and 8, due to the action of the spring 19, limited by the engagement ofthe stop lug 13 against the stop `face 16. (See Fig. Reterring now toFig. 7 in which the mov able or cutter blades 7 and 8 are operated withthe two toggle links 39 and 40 which are pivotally connected to theblades at 41 and 42 and are connected togetherwith the pivot pin 4.3.This pin is located in the opening 211 of the two overlapping parts 22and 23 of the movable handle 17, and therefore operates the blades 7 and8, when this handle is moved upward or downward. This constructionobviates the use of such a stit spring as used in the otherconstruction. Itprovides on the return movementna. greater leverage onthe cutter blades at their extreme outward movement by reason of thetoggle lever effect. TheA dotted line positions show the blades when intheir closed positions relative to the iixed middle blade 3. Otherwisethe action is the same as in the other figures.

From this description, it will be seen that I have provided adouble-acting shears construction that Vis simple in construction,efficient in operation and comparatively inexpensive to construct. Y

What I claim is: Y Y 1. A double action trimming shears comprising, incombination, a base member formed with two outer blades reinforced attheir outer edges by downwardly folded inreinforced by a centrallydisposed rib, a pair ot movable blades each one of which is pivotallysecured to said base member and each formed with ,two sharpened edges,one of said movable blades being formed with an integral upwardlyextending lug portion and the other of said movable blades being formedwith a notch, or recess, in which saidlug is located to operativelyconnect the movable blades toi gether, a stationary handle secured tosaid 2. A double actiony trimming shears comprising a base member formedwith a pair of outer blades and a centrally disposed blade, a pair ofmovable blades each one of which is pivotally secured to said basemember, one of said movable blades beingl formed with an upwardlyextending lug member and integral upwardly extending stop lugs and theother of said movable blades being formed with a notch in which the lugmember is lcated and stop `faces for limiting the outward and inwardmovement of said movable blades when engaged by said stop lugs, astationary handle secured to said base member, a movable handlepivotally secured to said stationary handle, spring means engaging saidhandles to maintain them in a normally open position, and an extendedportion on said movable handle Jformed with an opening in which said lugmember is engaged, whereby said movable blades are moved across theblades on the base member whensaid movable handle is actuated.

3. A shears construction comprising a base member having a plurality ofblades, a plurality of cutting blades pivotally secured to the basemember, a lug and recess construction formed on the cutting blades formoving one blade from the other, a movable handle pivotally secured tothe base member and formed with an opening in which the said lug islocated for moving the cutting bladesvfrom the movable handle.

' ERNEST SVVANSON.

` tegral flanges and a centrally disposed blade v

